How to Grow Herbs Indoors and Outdoors

With all of the time spent cooking at home lately, you’re probably looking for new ways to add flavor to recipes. While spices in canisters aren’t a bad thing, it can be a more fun sense of accomplishment to grow your own herbs that can be used while cooking. Here are a few tips for growing your own herbs both inside and outside. 

Outdoors

Choosing a good location for growing your outdoor herbs is important. The plants may not require extensive work, but be sure they have an adequate amount of sunlight. At least 6-8 hours of sun each day will result in healthy growth for your herbs. To best determine the amount of space needed to plant for a bountiful harvest is to closely follow the instructions on the seed packets. 

Well-drained soil is extremely helpful for growth. Consider adding compost as well for enhanced gardening efforts. Your soil should be able to retain moisture and nutrients and if the soil in your area isn’t quite ideal, a raised garden bed is a great alternative. 

Don’t over-water the herbs. Watering too frequently will cause them to wilt or have shallow roots that prevent growth. 

Indoors

When starting an herb garden inside of your home, you should be just as mindful about the sunlight as if you were planting outside. Herbs that grow indoors require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. The most ideal location inside of the home is a southwest-facing window, where sunlight comes in best. If sunlight is an issue indoors, a grow light is a great alternative. 

Growing medium works better than soil when planting indoors. Any store’s gardening center has this product, but you can also make your own mixture. One option is to mix equal parts sterile topsoil, builder’s sand and compost. 

Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Just as with outdoor plants, you need to be careful that the herbs are not over-watered. When you see that the top layer of the growing medium has dried out, it’s time for hydration. 

Growing herbs doesn’t require the biggest green thumb. Simply invest a bit of time and pay careful attention to your growth, and you’ll have fresh flavors to add to your meals in no time.